


Traipsing Through The Sands Of Time

by ANarrativeCloud



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: And More Fluff, Fix-It, Gen, Mostly Fluff, Multiple Time Travellers, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix It, and a bit of worldbuilding, and no, but you can think of it as shippy if you want, hahaha, i don't even now why I started another one, i'm not rewriting the whole series, it's gen - Freeform, that's just stupid, this is probably gonna be a two-shot at most, typical plot device, with a dash of angst, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 02:13:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8603200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANarrativeCloud/pseuds/ANarrativeCloud
Summary: In which Time Travelers Travel Back in Time due to typical plot device *cough-roguestrain-cough* and they Fix Things.





	

**Author's Note:**

> **Summary:** In which Time Travelers Travel Back in Time due to typical plot device *cough-roguestrain-cough* and they Fix Things.  
>  **Warnings:** Abuse of creative liberties, Fake!science, possible misinformation, cliché time travel plot: They go back and fix things. Yay. Because K:Return of Kings is just so infuriatingly slow paced and well, just because I love time travel. And because powers. XD  
>  **Author’s Notes: (just a rant, feel free to not read)** I know that the storyline is pretty short in terms of anime seasons, but why draw it out just because you have to reach double digits? It would be much much better if they just, oh I don’t know make some filler episode that feature fluff from different clans or flashback episodes like for example showing Yukari and Kuro’s past and shiz while making the storyline compact? Or even just lift scenes from the manga damnit. I really want to see Fushimi and Yata as little people who move. I mean, the first K was already slow paced, but the second season is just making the audience feel stupid. I mean, why do you have to explain things introduced thrice and even more than that!? Ugh. The only thing that’s really making me want to watch it is because it left a good impression on me, for some odd reason and I’m curious as to what would happen, even if the pacing is irritatingly slow and the screenplay boring when it isn’t an action scene. All they do is talk and talk and talk. Anyway. Enough ranting. Let’s get this show on the road.  
> .  
> .  
>  Enjoy!  
> .

**o-o-o-o-o**

When Shiro had come back, he hadn’t expected to wake up in his luxurious bedroom on the Himmelreich—and not the newer Schattenreich either, because if it was the Schattenreich, he would have put the blame of putting him there to the bunnies—if someone had _somehow_ managed to bypass his invulnerability, which raised new questions that Shiro was a little apprehensive to start thinking about. It was the _old_ one that he still remembered with vivid clarity, the one that crashed when the Colorless King had decided to make the blimp explode. The layout had been pretty much the same but he could almost sense the difference between the Himmelreich and the Schattenreich like one would a toothbrush they used when they had to change because it’s already been three months, won’t you already change your toothbrush.

He could remember was that Scepter 4 had been chasing a Strain that was said to have a power that could manipulate time (to an extent). He and Anna had been sharing their monthly, _entirely platonic_ , lunch dates—in which both the Silver and Red clans grudgingly left them alone—in one of the Cafés on Main Street when suddenly, the Strain had turned the corner sharply, being chased by Blue clansmen. There was a minor skirmish but the matter was peacefully resolved by Fushimi managing to catch the culprit by—of all things—tripping him and pinning him to the sidewalk via knives that glowed red. Then the screeching started and they all instinctively covered their ears to block the ear-bursting sound. Then the Strain exploded in a mish mash of light.

That was pretty much the last thing he remembered. He could still feel the spots in his vision, though he knew it to be more of a phantom sensation than anything else.

The first thing he did after doing his usual routine—he’d never actually realized how tedious keeping long hair was until he lost it and hadn’t needed to take care of it anymore and wasn’t it a surprise that he was back in the body that he hadn’t inhabited for almost two decades now?—was check the date, and start to plan out all the things he was supposed to do and what events those thing were likely to influence. If he remembered everything right, then the Colorless king was going to call him with a candle. The Candle was technically just going to a high place, flashing their aura and drawing some specific symbols that he had shown them when they were first introduced to him as King.  He’d actually quite liked being Isana Yashiro and he was going to _be_ Isana Yashiro regardless of the fact that it was a scheme by Nagare. There was also the normal candle that normal people could ‘light’, basically just anything that produces light, and if the person happened to rouse his interest, then he might just bring them up to the Himmelreich and talk to them like he had been doing so for the last few years to people he thought could use his help.

So he called the Lieutenant after checking the man’s supremely busy schedule.

“Weismann.” The man greeted.

“Lieutenant.” Yashiro greeted back with a smile. “It seems that I’ve gotten myself into something troublesome again.”

“That isn’t really a surprise.” Kokujoji retorted good-naturedly.

“Have you heard about the new Colorless King?” Yashiro inquired with his ever patient tone.

“I have felt him be enthroned. His whereabouts are currently unknown.” Kokujoji said succinctly.

“It seems that he’s quite insistent on meeting me.”

“Isn’t it an unspoken _protocol_ that all kings meet you, Weismann?”

“Ah.” Yashiro laughed sheepishly. “This is… quite _different_ though.”

“How so?”

“I’m afraid he isn’t eager to _only_ meet me.”

Which stated ulterior motives. Kokujoji remained silent and he took that as a cue to continue.

“I’d like to request for a dormitory room in Ashinaka Gakuen, a PDA and an identity for one Isana Yashiro.”

There was silence for a few seconds and Shiro knew that the Lieutenant was already on it. He could have done it himself, but his methods tended to be less than legal and given that the Lieutenant was technically _the law_ himself, it felt like it would be a lesser transgression, as he probably would have gone through all the proper channels to make an identity as solid as can be.

“It’s done. When does… _Isana Yashiro-kun_ start?”

“December 8.”

“Will you require assistance?”

Yashiro chuckled. “I think I can handle this on my own.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.”

Then Yashiro realized something. “Oh, and Hisui Nagare-san—“

“You are aware, then.”

Yashiro gave a sound of affirmation.

“I will look into it.”

“I’ll help too, of course. I haven’t been exactly idle this past few years in the research department.”

Their conversation continued with their usual friendly banter and before Yashiro noticed, the conversation ended.

Truly, it had been a while since he had talked to his dear friend, though if Kuroh had not come back in time as well, it would be a little disconcerting… Neko would be easier to find, if he didn’t change most of the actions of that night.

Well, he’d never really been that honest a person, so he was going to have to internalize some lies and make sure that people believed them.

Kuroh had been way too uptight for his own good.

o-o-o-o-o

When Anna had first woken up, her first thought was that she felt stifled, a well of energy that had become second nature to her became inaccessible. But as if a great burden was off her shoulders. She’d always known that the responsibility of being a King was large and heavy and she had donned it with pride and resolve, but there were days that she wished that she wouldn’t have that power. There were always the members of HOMRA by her side, and knowing that they were there was something that let her continue on every day.

She had been the King for almost twenty years now and she had grown into a beautiful woman. Fierce as fire and undaunted at the mountains. No one really wanted to go against her anymore, and the urban Legend, the _Bloody Princess_ had come to life. It wasn’t that Anna was violent. No. Far from it. She left most—the rare person who dared harm her precious family notwithstanding—of her victims alive to live another day, _but_ she would do _anything_ to ensure that her family was safe. Which lead to gang fights that she easily, singlehandedly won when she chose to.

Yashiro had completed his research and it had helped many of the Kings greatly. The Kings needed only visit the Silver King for routine check-ups to make sure that their Weismann levels (Yashiro had refused to call it that, stating that it was a bit embarrassing) were maintained and their body not deteriorate due to extreme exposure to the power that the Dresden Slates could lend. Of course, Kings that refused the check-ups still had the possibility of dropping their Swords of Damocles at the city, but Yashiro had declared the Schattenreich as Neutral ground and only those that harbored hostility and showed it via violent means was shown out the door, and if not, was met with force. Anna herself went to the Silver King almost once a month, just before lunch. She would have her check-up and was escorted to the blimp by her self-declared bodyguards, but they would leave her to the Schattenreich, knowing that the Silver Clan wouldn’t let anything happen to her—even if they do it somewhat grudgingly in Misaki’s case.

“Ah, Anna-chan! You’re awake!”

And her heart clenched, though her demeanor showing none of it. She’d learned to mask her emotions well enough

“There’s food downstairs. Kusanagi-san made pancakes!” Totsuka cheered.

“Later.” Anna replied, still somewhat shell-shocked.

_Tatara was alive._

“Tatara?”

 _She was tiny._ (Was vanity that bad? People _had_ called her beautiful all the time.)

“Yes, princess?”

Anna almost frowned but ignored it. She was a _King_ not some dainty little princess that needed protection! ( _but she wasn’t now, was she? not really_ ) “What date is it?”

_She wasn’t a King._

Totsuka tilted his head, and Anna could feel that he could sense that something was wrong. Anna may have been the clairvoyant, but she had never been as good with people as Totsuka so effortlessly was.

“It’s the fifth of December.”

Anna nodded. “Thank you. I’ll go change.”

Totsuka smiled. “Don’t keep the pancakes waiting! They might get cold.”

“Un.”

She dearly hoped this wasn’t a dream.

o-o-o-o-o

It was December seven and Yashiro couldn’t get more nervous.

He’d planned fully and extensively for this night and he could simply say that he chose the simplest one just because it was easier to enact the contingency plans for that plan and the only loss really, was that he was going to have to show his cards a little early into the game, but considering that he already knew what the whole hand of the enemy was— _graygreenkingdresdenslateunleashingyukarigoldlight—_ it wasn’t that much of a loss.

The Lieutenant was already in the process of preparing the disassembly of JUNGLE and its servers by making his own rival system, a new series of apps. A new SNS going by the name of ‘Crowns’. It was very unoriginal, but they knew that the simpler the name the better. Yashiro himself headed that project and he had really wanted Fushimi-san’s help with this, but that was pretty much out of the question and he did doubt that the nineteen-year old had the same experience and temperament as his two-decade older counterpart. (He might not look it but Yashiro was pretty smart.) It wouldn’t be done for a while, but it could wait. They had a lot of time on their hands after all.

The whole colorless King debacle had only been the start of Nagare’s _world._ That dream that the computer-like Nagare could cook up was something that Yashiro refused to acknowledge or let exist.

The speed of the Himmelreich was slightly altered, such that it would be near the roof top and Weismann could help the Red King’s Vassal. He might not have that much practice in this body controlling his aura, but he could use the power to almost pinpoint precision after so much practice.

He didn’t really have the personal connections to Totsuka Tatara to actually _want_ him to live, but Anna was his friend and damned he would be if he let Anna go through this person’s death again, even if technically she wouldn’t and hadn’t. If Awashima was correct, then the present Red King would be easier to handle if his ‘beastmaster’ remained alive.

o-o-o-o-o

Anna had an agenda. She wanted to prevent Totsuka’s death. But she didn’t know _how_ to do it. She could ask help from the other Kings, Munakata or Yashiro preferably, but she very much doubted that they would actually hear her plead. She could also try to stall Tatara and not let him film the rooftop, but she knew that Tatara wasn’t someone who could be dissuaded easily without good reason.

Though she _did_ have that credibility that came with her being a clairvoyant…

o-o-o-o-o

Kusanagi was someone who thought that his life was pretty normal. Auras, kings and clansmen notwithstanding. But when a man walked in, after knocking once, twice and having Chitose open the door, his dress seeming like it came out of a Renaissance fair and long silver hair flowing freely behind him, sauntered into HOMRA's bar smiled at them, lightly and feathery, and stopped in front of Anna then stared at the little girl and _then_ smiled even wider, Kusanagi was quite surprised.

"Ashinaka." The man said. And Kusanagi swore that even Anna was almost surprised.

Speaking of Anna, she had been acting odder than usual, it wasn't really something completely overt, but she was a lot tenser than usual, and there was a determined set to her jaw that Kusanagi was sure wasn't there before—or maybe he just hadn’t notice it..? There was also a darkness in her eyes that lifted every once in a while, but it seemed like a personal shroud and Kusanagi was already planning on doing something about it.

Wait. Hadn't she been acting oddly protective of Totsuka in her own little way? Clinging like the man was going to fly away at the slightest breeze. Kusanagi had attributed the behavior to her clairvoyance, but there was something else... Eric had just implied that Anna might have had a crush on Tatara and promptly had his foot stomped on by the quiet girl. And most of them had laughed at Eric's misfortune. Anna had a very solid heel.

“Schattenreich.” Anna replied and the man looked very pleased.

“I do believe that forests shouldn’t stay unburnt.” The man said amiably.

Anna nodded. “An illusion from a cat shouldn’t feel so real.”

"Can I borrow Anna for a while?" The man announced after their small talk and confirmation of whatever it was they confirmed.

“What!?” Yata yelled. “You can’t just _take_ Anna!”

“Anna?” Kusanagi prompted when the man made no sudden moves, and Anna was not shying away from him.

“I’ll go.” She intoned with a small smile.

Kusanagi blinked.

“He’s a friend.”

The man blinked and muttered, hiding his mouth behind a gloved hand. “Ah, I forgot.”

Anna gave the man a stern glare, at which the man rubbed his cheek sheepishly. It was most certainly an odd sight. A little girl scolding a somehwat adult twice her height.

“I think you should explain.” Anna suggested.

The man cleared his throat. “Would you mind turning your PDAs off for a bit?”

“Like _hell!_ ” Yata groused.

“You don’t have a signal scrambler?” Anna asked. Kusanagi was curious as the where she had heard that before. It bred a certain amount of familiarity to the technology which Kusanagi was pretty sure that Anna didn’t have.

“I didn’t actually… bring my PDA so I saw no need.” The man smiled weakly.

Anna looked almost fond. “Then?”

“I have one.” Kusanagi volunteered. “Though I don’t understand why you would need one.”

“It’s quite… Do any of you have the app JUNGLE in your PDA or install it at least once?”

Most of them shook their heads and Yata reluctantly nodded. And Kusanagi could actually see where he was going with this. There had been many rumours about this that he could hear.

“May I borrow it for a bit?”

Yata refused. Loudly and slightly violently.

“Misaki.” Anna prompted. “Please?”

Yata seemed to fight himself before relenting. “Ugh. Fine! But only because Anna said so!” And he handed his arm which had his watch to the silverette with slightly more force than necessary.

“Thank you, Misaki-san.” Shiro had said it on purpose, just to rile up the vanguard.

Yata turned slightly red while Kusanagi snickered.

“It’s _Yata!_ Nobody calls me by my first name!”

“But didn’t Anna-san..?”

“W-wha—Anna!”

The man fiddled with the PDA for about a minute or so and then declared the PDA safe. It was surprisingly clean. He wasn’t the best in Assembly, but he had enough working knowledge to filter out spyware of this timeline’s Green Clan. Only Fushimi and Karen-san of the USAGI was a match for them in the future, though. He was more of a biochemist than a computer scientist after all, even if he was still better at it than a good majority of the population.

“Did you give this to someone after you downloaded the JUNGLE app?” Right. Fushimi. “Nevermind. Kusanagi-san?”

Izumo turned the scrambler on, hyperaware that the man knew his name. Though he knew that Anna might have just mentioned it to the man, with them being apparently friends of a sort. Or even by reputation. But _that_ meant that this man was involved in some shady dealings, and he didn't know which choice he preferred.

“I’m quite sorry for the precautions.” The silverette intoned apologetically. “But the Lieutenant insisted that I actually pay attention to my own safety.”

“Safety, why would that..?”

“You are being targeted by the Green Clan?” Kusanagi asked.

“Not… exactly me right now, but yes. I would like to introduce myself.”

“Aren’t you going to wait for our King?” Kusanagi asked, blowing out a stream of smoke.

The man hummed. “Well, I’m afraid I only have a small window of movement and I cannot wait. I know for a fact that Mikoto-san wouldn’t be back until dusk, right Anna?”

The girl nodded.

“Oops. I only have five minutes left.” He cleared his throat and made an exaggerated bow, strands of his long hair flowing past his shoulders with the movement. “I am the First and Silver King. Adolf K. Weismann. It’s quite nice to meet you.”

They gaped.

They couldn’t exactly say that he was refused entry and went against Protocol 120, a breach on another King’s domain, because one of their members had opened the door to the man. Kusanagi just had to remember to caution them that even if it was a bar meant for customers, they couldn’t just let anyone in if they _knocked—_ to a bar, _for public use_ —of all things. Well, the bar wasn’t Clan ground during business hours anyway, so Izumo just sighed.

o-o-o-o-o

In the end they had let Yashiro take Anna after making him promise that he was to return the girl before breakfast the next day. They were actually a little shocked that the Silver King, who was notorious for never leaving the Himmelreich just paid them a visit to borrow Anna.

"So we're..?"

Anna nods once.

Shiro blinks, then laughs slightly.

"Mikoto."

"Ah. Right. You aren't exactly a King now, are you?" Shiro tilts his head. "What do you want to do?"

"Rooftop." Anna says tensely.

"I already have a plan." Yashiro smiled. “Will you help me?”

"Yes." Anna said with a hopeful set to her face.

"Anything else you need my help with?" Shiro asked...

" _Mikoto."_  Anna says. It was a good thing Kusanagi-san had taught him how to understand the usually clipped sentences that came from the little girl who wasn't so little—er, before—anymore. But this wasn't the most unusual thing that happened to either of them. She wasn’t exactly a talkative person, but if you asked the right questions when’s she’s in a good mood, she actually talked quite a bit. More paragraphs than single sentences.

"I've already completed that research, you know." Shiro huffs. "You _have_ been a King for almost two decades now, Anna-chan. I haven't exactly been dawdling."

Anna stares at him. "Five decades, Yashiro-san.”

Shiro laughs sheepishly. “Well, for that, I have absolutely no excuse.” Other than grieving, trying to acclimatize to being immortal, having his country destroyed? Yeah, there really wasn’t an excuse for that. He just hadn’t been strong enough to take that first step on his own. He was actually quite thankful to Nagare for making him plummet down a blimp in the lower atmosphere, because if Nagare hadn’t made that plan in the first place, then Yashiro’s time wouldn’t have moved so drastically the way it did when Nagare had.

Anna was filled with hope once more. For that she was not a strategist, this man went toe to toe with Munakata in chess, more often losing than winning, true, but he had the advantage of knowing how Munakata thought without the Blue King having the same advantage. It might not be enough, the Blue King being as gifted and insightful as he was of course, but being the best friend and somewhat rival of the Gold King for decades would have probably helped with that.

o-o-o-o-o

“What do you mean Anna was taken by the _Silver King?_ ” Totsuka asked in surprise. “As in _The Silver King?_ ”

“Adolf K. Weismann.” Mikoto said uncaringly. “We’ve met.”

“Why?”

“He said they were friends.” Kusanagi shrugged. “And I’m not exactly keen on going against the _First_ King of all Kings.”

“Is it because of her birthday?” Totsuka theorized and Yata had let out a surprised squawk from the couches where he was playing a handheld with Rikio.

“It’s Anna’s _birthday?_ ” Yata asked, scandalized. “Why didn’t you tell us!?”

“I told you _now_ , didn’t I?” Totsuka smiled.

o-o-o-o-o

The Colorless king hummed slightly manically as he waited for the Silver King to respond to his summons. Truly that King was so _annoying_. Lording over the city in the skies? Oh, that greedy, passive, _hateful_ King. How long would he have to wait, he wondered. He was pretty sure he was going to come before midnight but he was getting so impatient! When was he going to arrive!?

“It’s such a nice night, isn’t it?” Someone called from the entry.

And he could not _deal_ with him right now.

o-o-o-o-o

“Wish me luck, Anna-chan.”

Anna nodded, very worried, as she sat on the couch in the pilot’s cabin of the Himmelreich.

Weismann smiled as he stood on his pilot’s seat in the Himmelreich, reaching for his power that let him manipulate gravity. He could see _them_ through the screens of his carefully crafted spy cameras _._ So he _reached_ and willed for the bullet to stop and shatter before it even got near the Red Clan’s Vassal.

“ _Are you hurt, Totsuka-san?_ ” He asked as he projected his thoughts to the man, with a bit of help from Anna’s clairvoyance.

Tatara smiled nervously, obviously quite surprised. “Ah, um. Not at all. Thank you very much.”

“Well, well, well!” The Colorless King howled. “What a _surprise!_ I can’t believe you actually _helped_ someone!”

Weismann smiled, extending a hand, then clenching it into a fist that made the Colorless King fall to the ground in a heap of bones and encasing him in a sphere of Aura. The other King wouldn’t be able to leave without his permission within a set amount of time. He may be the strongest King, but his opponent was still another King. And that made all the difference.

“ _I’m sorry, Totsuka-san, would you mind stepping back up a bit?_ ”

Totsuka gave a sound of affirmation and shuffled towards the door.

“ _Now, Colorless King-san. I would like to have_ words.”

“Ha! Haha! _You_? That _passive_ King who could do no more than _watch?_ Ha! Miserable! Don’t you want me to take that responsibility from you?”

“ _Hm._ ” Weissmann sounded thoughtful, yet Totsuka somehow knew that he wasn’t going to give in that easily. “ _Maybe you should. You are quite a good puppet, after all._ ”

“ _Puppet!?_ He calls me a puppet? Are we a puppet? No, I’m the _king. The King of Kings!_ I am no one’s puppet!”

Weissmann smiled sadly. “ _Then I’m afraid this discussion is over._ ”

He brought his clenched towards his chest. The Colorless King was imprisoned in a silver sphere that would hold him for as long as Weissmann could steady the energy output.

“ _You should head back home immediately, Totsuka-san. I think there’s been too much excitement for one night._ ”

“Ah, yes. Thank you. Again.” Totsuka smiled. “I think you should visit again sometime, Silver King-san. Kusanagi makes good pancakes.”

Weissmann chuckled. “ _I will remember that. Guten nacht._ ”

The Colorless King was then bathed in silver light as he floated towards the Himmelreich.

o-o-o-o-o

“ _Weissman…!_ Release me!”

Then Shiro did.

“You wanted to talk?”

“I _never_ said _talk!_ ” The Colorless King grinned madly. “I _will_ be _King!_ ”

Then a fox jumped from his eyes to Weissman’s. And Yashiro fell.

“ _Bye._ ”

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Anna had been escorted by a bunny back to HOMRA where the people there were fussing over Totsuka. Tatara had just left his camera on the table and Kusanagi had curiously looked at the thing in it and confronted Tatara about being a little bit more _careful!_

Totsuka himself was a little shaken due to the fact that the bullet had stopped just shy his heart and there was still the burn of the gunpowder on his jacket. He could only imagine what would have happened if the Silver King had not decided to interfere. He would have _died._ Then who would have taken care of HOMRA in his stead?

Most of them just felt relieved that Tatara was still alive.

“Anna-chan? How did you become friends with the Silver king?” Kusanagi had asked curiously as he served her a parfait.

Anna tilted her head slightly. “He flew in through a window, so I opened it for him.”

“When was this?”

Anna didn’t answer. She didn’t want to lie.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me, but I still am curious.”

Anna blinked once. “Two weeks from now.”

It was incredibly cryptic, but Anna always was. But what did she mean by _two days from now?_ What? They _met_ two days _from now_? What.

“Why do you call him ‘Yashiro’?”

Anna shrugged. “Yashiro is Yashiro.”

“I thought he was Adolf K. Weissman?”

“He prefers it.” Anna said simply.

“Huh.”

Izumo doubts he’d ever get anything out of the petite girl.

o-o-o-o-o

_The Green and Gray Kings had won and the power of the Slate was released to the whole world._

_It had been a nightmare for everyone involved. Only a few people were enlightened of the fact that Supernatural things indeed could happen. People were suddenly gaining abilities, some more violent than others and governmental agencies were scrambling for answers._

_It was a good thing that they had set up countermeasures for whatever might happen, so they had no choice but to send USAGI dignitaries to places all over the world and try to mitigate the damage that would be done by the whole power release. Riots started and cults started forming around the idea after a proper announcement was given. It sent the world on edge, learning that someday they might have a power to rival gods of myth. It had been gradual, the reports had only started coming in from Japan then news from other countries had been flooded. The Blue Clan was handling the informational organization and trying to plant all their seeds in every country._

_There was only one good thing that came out of the whole debacle._

_The new Gold King had been born and he marched up to the Slates, words of future Seen and Unseen shuttering behind his eyes. He took control of the Slates with the other Kings guarding his backs while he tried to wrestle the unimaginable power that the Slate was giving off._

_The Gold King succeeded._

_Fujimine Asari had been as free a spirit as the wind. Nothing seemed to be able to tie him down. He had struggled with his power at first, but upon discovering that he wasn’t the only one to experience such new things, he began to try to control it and that was when his Sword of Damocles appeared and every King had felt his presence like a furnace burning on a cold winter night. Even Iwa and Nagare had been greatly surprised that a new king was born so soon after the Slates had been released._

_Munakata had not believed that Asari could pull it off but had been persuaded to at least let him try. Nagare had been killed at that point by a Blue sniper that loaded his bullets with aura-piercing shells. The bullets had been secretly developed by the Gold Clan for a while now and it was just finished when the time rolled around. Yukari had not expected the shell to eat the green aura that Nagare had used to block and was fully confident that their King would be able to deflect or block any attacks that wasn’t from other Kings. It had pierced his skull, unexpectedly, and died within seconds of impact. It was so anticlimactic that most of them refused to believe that it had been that easy. So, he’d been dead and not able to raise up a fuss to the re-controlling that power of the Slates._

_It took a good ten years for the world to have a semblance of peace back. There were a lot of foreigners that had the same ideas Nagare had—that the powers that the Slate had were things that they need to use to ‘bring peace to the world’ but Yashiro strongly objected, Asari echoing his words and Reisi sternly unyielding._

_Nobody was ever told the full story, but after Asari, Reisi and Yashiro had turned off all the cameras in the conference room and had **words** , no other country ever raised their voice to unleash the Slate on them all again._

o-o-o-o-o

Anna blinked and brightened. Kusanagi didn’t think she could pull that off nicely, but did anyway.

“Can I borrow your PDA, Izumo?” She asked.

Kusanagi blinked but handed the object in question as he asked. “Why?”

“I think I’ve found another friend.”

A few rings and someone talked on the other line brusquely.

 _“Yes?”_ Kusanagi heard slightly. He couldn’t place the voice, but he knows he’s heard it somewhere before. It seemed to be carefully modulated, probably artificially to cover up the voise of whoever it was on the other side of the line so Izumo could only rely on habits, but he's never really been that observant about voices.

“The forests are still quiet.”

_“Anna, huh. So who else?”_

“Yashiro-san.”

_“Does he have a plan?”_

“In the works.”

_“Where is he?”_

“Ashinaka.”

_“…him?”_

Anna hesitated. “He wasn’t with us then.”

There was a bit of silence before he answered. _“I think he’ll follow soon enough.”_

 “What will you do?”

_“I’m the adult here.”_

“Play nice.”

_“When have I ever played nice?”_

He could feel her disapproval over the line.

He ‘ _tsk_ ’ed. _“Fine.”_

“He’s still hurting now, you know.”

_“It’s my fault, I know. I’ll try.”_

“He’s already forgiven you. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

There was no reply.

“You still have work to do.”

A loud curse. “Right. I’d almost forgotten. It’s been a while since...” Then he hesitated a little bit. “Your ability is really handy, you know.”

“You’re welcome.”

He huffed and she was met with a dial tone.

o-o-o-o-o

“Fujimine speaking.” was the light tenor of the voice that picked up the phone.

“Hello, this is Crowns, would you like to be the gold for prosperity?” The tone sounded extremely rehearsed, like one of those ‘welcome to Starbuck’s may I take your order please’ phrases that people didn’t pay that much attention to.

“…who is this?”

“Crowns.” Was the cheerful reply. “Would you like to be the gold for prosperity?”

“I’m afraid I do not understand.” He sounded quite apologetic.

There was a slight pause.

“We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

The line beeped.

Asari tilted his head in curiosity.

What was that about, he wonders.

It seemed like it would be important. But, he decides, not anytime soon.


End file.
